Inclusion, acceptance and belonging.

Those three vital words will speak volumes in connecting families with special needs on May 4 during SPED Community Day at the Northwood Elementary School lower parking lot.

Mercer Islanders Jessi Biagi and Jennifer Crespi are co-chairing the event three years after forming the Mercer Island PTA’s Special Services and Learning Differences (SSALD) committee.

“We’d love for the kids to feel special and celebrated that day,” Biagi said. “We wanted to have a day where the whole community could get together and celebrate our kids and celebrate our families and say, ‘We’re here, too, and we’re a part of the community.’”

SSALD will present the inaugural event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with support from the Mercer Island School District and sponsored by Rotary at the Northwood location at 4030 86th Ave. SE. The free May the Fourth celebration will welcome families to meet with police and fire department officials, touch a truck, visit about 20 resource tables, participate in various activities and workshops and enjoy entertainment.

Service providers at the event will supply information about special needs summer camps, therapies, extracurriculars, adaptive swim lessons and more.

“Our goal really has been how do we provide support, how do we provide information, resources and education for families and their kiddos?” said Crespi, who has two sons at Islander Middle School. “Making families feel like we have a day to celebrate, to gain resources, to go out in the community and just see, ‘This is our community. There’s a place for us to feel accepted and belonging.’”

Biagi, who has two sons at Lakeridge Elementary — one of whom is special needs — noted about the crucial resources to provide guidance for families at the event: “It’s a great opportunity for the families in the community to ask questions and to get answers all in one place.”

Meeting with the Island’s first responders will be equally as important for parents and children, Biagi and Crespi said. When they asked police chief Ed Holmes and commander Mike Seifert at a Rotary meeting if they could meet with special needs families, the policemen were fully on board with the opportunity. The special education (SPED) community day came into existence from there.

“Letting the officers meet our families is always great,” said Crespi, a steadfast parent advocate. “It’s such a small Island and so having that connection of, ‘This is a friendly person. They’re here to help us. You can wave to them in the street if something happens and you see them in the community.’ They’re a safe person to go to.”

Biagi said they hope to have a solid turnout at the event and for SPED families to show how cool their kids are.

“I’m hoping that my son could meet other kids similar to him, and to give him an opportunity to mix and mingle and have this social moment and meet the officers,” Biagi said.

Any questions can be directed to ssald@miptacouncil.org.